JACK DANIEL’S SINGLE BARREL OFFERS CHRISTMAS SHOPPERS THE PERFECT RESPITE 

This Christmas, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel has teamed up with The Whisky Shop to offer busy Christmas shoppers the perfect respite with a complimentary serve of the unique and craft whiskey, when purchasing a bottle to be personally engraved in-store.

Shoppers are invited to the Piccadilly or Manchester stores, where, as part of the price, a bottle of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel will be engraved whilst they enjoy the smooth whiskey over ice.

Whether engraved with a name, a unique message, or simply ‘Happy Holidays’, a personalised bottle of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel makes the perfect gift for that special someone this Christmas.

Not just any barrel of Jack Daniel’s is granted the status of Single Barrel. Every so often, the Jack Daniel’s Master Tasting Panel discover a barrel of whiskey so special, they put it to one side. Those that are, are carefully hand-bottled one at a time, each bearing an individual rick number and bottling date.

With a richer, robust flavour to its famous brother Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel has notes of toasted oak, vanilla and caramel. Each barrel offers individual nuances of colour and taste and is perfectly served straight, on the rocks, or with a dash of bitters and a twist of orange.

With no two barrels of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel the same, it presents the perfect chance to offer your loved one a whiskey truly unique this Christmas. Whether it’s for friends or family, it’s a gift like no other: the unique taste of Jack Daniel’s bearing a unique message from you.

This unique and special experience is available in The Whisky Shop Manchester on the 10^th and 11^th December, and in the London Piccadilly store from the 12^th to 14^th December.  Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel is priced at £49, with the complimentary engraving and serve included as part of the price. 

Notes: 

Engraving in-store and complimentary JDSB on the rocks is available at the two below stores: 

The Whisky Shop Manchester: 3 Exchange St, Manchester M2 7EA

10th Dec 12pm – 6pm

11th Dec 12pm – 6pm

The Whisky Shop London: 70 Piccadilly, London, W1J 8HP

12th Dec 1pm – 7pm

13th Dec 12pm – 6pm

14th Dec 12pm – 5pm 

The Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Serve:

– Ingredients –

2 parts Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel

– Instructions –

If desired, serve over ice. For an extra twist, add a dash of bitters and a twist of orange 

About Jack Daniel’s (http://www.jackdaniels.com)

Officially registered by the U.S. Government in 1866 and based in Lynchburg, Tenn., the Jack Daniel Distillery, Lem Motlow, proprietor, is the oldest registered distillery in the United States and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Jack Daniel’s is the maker of the world-famous Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey-Based Ready-to-Drink Beverages.

“FROM DREAM TO DRAM” KINGSBARNS DISTILLERY OFFICIALLY OPEN 

The Kingsbarns Distillery and Visitor Centre officially opened its doors to the public on Monday 1 December. The first visitor was the aptly named Mr. New, who lives locally and has watched the build with interest over the past year and a half.

Located in The East Neuk of Fife, Scotland and overlooking the world-renowned Kingsbarns Championship Golf Course, the arrival of this single malt distillery to the area officially marries together two of Scotland’s finest exports, golf and whisky and is the newest Lowland whisky distillery in the St Andrews area.

Director William Wemyss and Distillery Founder Douglas Clement marked the opening of the Distillery on St Andrews Day (Sunday 30 November) with an official plaque unveiling at a private event attended by industry leaders, close friends and family.

Internationally acclaimed musician James Yorkston who is from the area celebrated the occasion by performing an intimate set including a song penned specially for the occasion.

Speaking on behalf of the Wemyss family, Director William Wemyss commented:

“Since we bought the Kingsbarns project in 2013, it has been a very exciting year for us.  Building a whisky distillery is a once in a generation opportunity and we are looking forward to playing our part in bringing a reinvigoration to the Kingdom of Fife.”

The Scottish Government also supported the development with a European Food Processing and Marketing grant. Food Secretary Richard Lochhead said:

“I’d like to congratulate the Wemyss family and their investors for creating and opening The Kingsbarns Distillery and Visitor Centre here in Fife. This will provide a fantastic added tourist attraction for the many thousands of golf lovers who flock to the ‘Home of Golf’ at St Andrews each year.

“The Scottish Government, which provided support for this project through the Food Processing, Marketing and Cooperation Grant Scheme, welcomes this new distillery to the family of Scottish Craft Distilleries. As well as creating jobs, it will also further enhance the area in terms of tourism activity, bringing Whisky aficionados and golfers to this part of Fife.

“2015 is the Year of Food and Drink in Scotland: a time for us to celebrate our rich natural larder and incredible offering of some of the finest luxury products in the world. Our whisky is second to none and I have every confidence that The Kingsbarns Distillery and Visitor Centre will enrich our reputation for exceptional whisky offerings even further. I wish the Wemyss family the very best of luck in their endeavor.”

The new Kingsbarns Single Malt Scotch whisky will be classified in the Lowlands region and available after a minimum of three years maturation in oak casks.  Fife grown malted barley has been secured to make the spirit and it will be matured predominantly in ex-Bourbon casks.  The visitor centre offers a unique opportunity for guests to watch the process first-hand and be part of the history of the Kingsbarns Single Scotch Malt Whisky in the making.

Key members of the team include Peter Holroyd as Distillery Manager and the Distillery Founder Douglas Clement as Visitor Centre Manager.

Tours can be arranged by contacting: +44(0)1333 451300.

http://www.kingsbarnsdistillery.com/

@KingsbarnsDist

Notes to Editors:

• The Wemyss family is from Scotland and their historic family seat is Wemyss Castle in Fife where they’ve lived since the 1300s.
• The family already own Wemyss Malts which is an independent bottler with a whisky range including the blended malt whisky range comprising: The Spice King, The Peat Chimney and The Hive; single malt single cask bottlings and the blended Scotch named Lord Elcho after one of the Wemyss family’s ancestors all of which will be avilable for tasting at The Kingsbarns Distillery.
• The Wemyss family premium wines and spirits brands also include boutique gin Darnley’s View together with the premium wine estate of Rimauresq Cru Classé in Cotes de Provence.
• The Wemyss family has a historical link with the site of the new Kingsbarns Distillery as the 7^th Earl of Wemyss actually owned part of the Cambo Estate between 1759 and 1783.
• The Wemyss family was supported in this exciting new development with a European Food Processing and Marketing grant via the Scottish Government for £670K through the Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation Grant Scheme for the Renovation and conversion of an existing building into a distillery, together with the purchase and installation of a 1.5 tonne mash turnkey whisky distillation system.

A. Smith Bowman Distillery Releases Limited Edition Vanilla Bean Infused Whiskey     

Release is Extremely Limited, Mostly Only in Virginia

Fredericksburg, VA. (Dec. 3, 2014) – A. Smith Bowman Distillery announces the last release in its Abraham Bowman line for 2014, the Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Vanilla Bean Infused Whiskey. This new whiskey was aged a total of seven years and six months in the barrel.

Barrels of A. Smith Bowman bourbon were infused with chopped up Madagascar vanilla beans in October of 2012. Beans were added at various levels and tasted every ten weeks to observe how their flavor interacted with the bourbon as it aged. After a little over two years, all of the barrels were married together for bottling.

“This marriage was a bit challenging to get it to come out just right,” said Brian Prewitt, master distiller.  “While the Abraham releases are experimental, we always want to make sure they exceed our expectations and those of our fans’. With some careful marrying of the various barrels in this experiment, we were able to make the flavor, mouth feel, and color exactly in line with what we were hoping for in this release.”

The whiskey has been described as, “Beautiful copper color. Sweet vanilla, candied nuts, toffee, hints of maple, and dried fruit in the aroma. Sweet oak, vanilla, and dark spice in the flavor with a long, lingering finish.”About A. Smith BowmanAs a small and privately owned company, A. Smith Bowman Distillery continues the time-honored traditions on which it was founded. Considered a micro-distillery by today’s standards, A. Smith Bowman produces an assortment of hand-crafted spirits distilled from only the finest natural ingredients and using the latest technology. This micro-distillery focuses on the production of premium spirits honoring the legacy of Virginia’s first settlers. For more information on A. Smith Bowman, please visit www.asmithbowman.com .

A. Smith Bowman’s distilling roots date back to the years before Prohibition when the Bowman family had a granary and dairy farm in Sunset Hills, Virginia. They used excess grain from the family estate to distill spirits. In 1934, after the Repeal of Prohibition, Abram Smith Bowman and his sons continued the family tradition and built a more modern distillery in Fairfax County, Virginia called Sunset Hills Farm.  In response to the rapid rise of taxes in Northern Virginia, the Distillery was moved in 1988 and is now nestled in Spotsylvania County near the city of Fredericksburg, 60 miles away from the original location.

The Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Vanilla Bean Infused Whiskey is part of a series of limited edition whiskies, named after Abraham Bowman, the commander of the 8^th Virginia Regiment in the American Revolutionary War. Each edition of the Abraham line is a different expression and a new release is offered a few times a year.  The Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Vanilla Bean Infused Whiskey went on sale at the end of November. However, quantity is very limited and it will mostly be available only in Virginia.  It is 90 proof. Suggested retail pricing is $69.99.

About A. Smith Bowman

Smith Bowman’s distilling roots date back to the years before Prohibition when the Bowman family had a granary and dairy farm in Sunset Hills, Virginia. They used excess grain from the family estate to distill spirits. In 1934, after the Repeal of Prohibition, Abram Smith Bowman and his sons continued the family tradition and built a more modern distillery in Fairfax County, Virginia called Sunset Hills Farm.  In response to the rapid rise of taxes in Northern Virginia, the Distillery was moved in 1988 and is now nestled in Spotsylvania County near the city of Fredericksburg, 60 miles away from the original location.

As a small and privately owned company, A. Smith Bowman Distillery continues the time-honored traditions on which it was founded. Considered a micro-distillery by today’s standards, A. Smith Bowman produces an assortment of hand-crafted spirits distilled from only the finest natural ingredients and using the latest technology. This micro-distillery focuses on the production of premium spirits honoring the legacy of Virginia’s first settlers. For more information on A. Smith Bowman, please visit www.asmithbowman.com

Today, 5th December 2014, Lagavulin Distillery Manager, Georgie Crawford, celebrated winning the Distillery Manager of the Year Award at the Icons of Whisky Scotland awards lunch in Edinburgh. Since joining Lagavulin in 2010, Islay-born Georgie has overseen the running of this legendary distillery and the production of one of the world’s most popular drams.

Georgie’s first role in whisky was at The Vaults in Edinburgh, where she worked for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Following this, Georgie joined Diageo as a visitor centre manager at the Talisker distillery on the Isle of Skye where her passion and enthusiasm for whisky was spotted by her employers. This led to a year spent training in distilling with the Glen Ord Group, prior to being offered the Distillery Manager position at Lagavulin. 

Of her win, Georgie says: “It’s our job to maintain the whisky, the brand, the heritage and we do feel like custodians. I’m thrilled to receive this award on behalf of the whole team at the Lagavulin distillery, who work so hard to produce such a universally popular whisky.”

THREE NEW AND VERY SPECIAL RELEASES FROM BENRIACH AND GLENDRONACH

Strange, isn’t it? Sometimes you wait for a bus, and it takes a long time to come along. And other times, without having to wait, three come along simultaneously! That’s exactly the situation today with three remarkable new releases from The BenRiach Distillery Company – two from BenRiach itself and one from GlenDronach.  And the wait has certainly been worth it because these three expressions are absolutely sensational.

Let’s start with BenRiach.

The BenRiach 10^th Anniversary bottling is a strictly limited one-off bottling to commemorate a very special occasion.

Back in 2004, Billy Walker and his two South African partners Geoff Bell and Wayne Kieswetter purchased BenRiach and turned it into one of Scotland’s most admired distilleries.

On September 20 that year, the first distillation under the new owners was filled to cask. Ten years on, Billy Walker has married together four outstanding casks from the first week of production to create this limited bottling, at 46% vol, with only 1106 bottles available for sale.

The four bourbon barrels – 7257, 7258, 7259 and 7260 – distilled on September 21, 2004, are perfect choices to celebrate BenRiach’s tenth birthday, as the tasting notes show.

COLOUR Gleaming rich harvest gold.

NOSE Ripe white pear, fruit salad syrup and rich clotted cream hold a crisp twist of candied peel and soft vanilla.

TASTE Crisp barley with peppery toasted oak and stem ginger flood over rich crème brulee, coconut butter and vanilla poached pear.

Also released today is another exclusive expression – the BenRiach 35 years old.

Non-chill filtered, bottled at natural colour and at 42.5% vol., it superbly complements BenRiach’s award-winning 25 years old which was released in 2006. And like the 25 years old, the 35 years old is a classic Speyside, proffering some lovely fruit notes and dry spice – sweet, fruity and simply beautiful.  Billy Walker’s tasting notes show this is an exceptional malt to be consciously savoured, enjoying every stage from nose to tongue to afterglow with each sip.

COLOUR:  Gleaming rich golden amber.

NOSE: Luscious tropical fruit salad syrup with a delicate ripped mint and chocolate back note; all warmed by a gentle toasted oak spice.

TASTE:  A classic Speyside style combining waves of papaya and dried apricots with freshly-sawn oak spices, touches of golden syrup and distant milk chocolate which gently flow through the elegant long finish.

And completing today’s trio of outstanding releases is Batch 6 of GlenDronach’s renowned “Grandeur” series, a welcome warming dram for a crisp, cold evening.

This latest stellar batch from the Aberdeenshire distillery is an exceptional 24 year old whisky that’s been specially selected by Billy Walker from some of the oldest and most characterful Oloroso sherry casks at GlenDronach.

Bottled at 48.9% vol and individually numbered by hand, the batch is limited to just 1180 bottles and generously filled with luscious fruity aromas, rich sherry and dark chocolate flavours.

COLOUR Glistening burnt amber holds a rich crimson heart.

NOSE A magnificent combination of honey-drenched dates and succulent raisins which gently ebb and flow with waves of delicate orange blossom, mint and cracked black pepper. Hints of glazed cherries and toasted almonds perfectly complement the seductive nose. A nose to be appreciated slowly and often.

TASTE A fabulously full-bodied, vibrant palate captures a multitude of classic sherry cask characteristics. The delicate sweetness of rum-soaked golden sultanas refines rich espresso, dark chocolate and treacle toffee. Zesty orange oil softens to a deep clove spice and prolongs the ever-changing palate. A sublime example of understanding the relationship between cask and single malt perfectly.

Sales Director Alistair Walker commented: “Winter brings much that has to be endured but this trio of new releases will help lift your spirits. They are stunning drams that brilliantly sum up everything we do at BenRiach and GlenDronach.”

All three are available from today.

Keep an eye on our websites – www.benriachdistillery.co.uk and www.glendronachdistillery.com – for more information on these new releases, tasting notes and exclusive product photography.

After years of planning and anticipation, the Irish Whiskey Museum is welcoming guests to Dublin’s newest tourist attraction! Located across from Trinity College, the museum is one of the most centrally located tourist attractions in Dublin, and is the only Irish whiskey museum in the world. With a unique setting and gorgeous views overlooking Trinity College, it is an experience unlike any other.

Converting an idle building fallen into disrepair in the heart of the city centre, it’s an independent project conceived by director Keith McDonnell, owner of Extreme Ireland.  The project is autonomous from the drinks industry and provides a true reflection of Irish whiskey. Located on Failte Ireland’s Dubline, a new initiative to develop the region between Trinity College and Thomas Street to enhance the tourist experience, a small level of funding was provided by Failte Ireland to get the projected finalised.  Whiskey distillers such as Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Bushmills, Tullamore Dew and Teeling have endorsed the project.

Delighted to be offering employment to 25 full time staff, Keith McDonnell states that “I see SMEs playing a critical role in bringing Ireland out of the recession.  It was such a shame to see a beautiful building at the heart of the city falling into disrepair.  Once the idea was born I was pleased to know that it would provide employment to the local community, offer something new to visitors and would assist somewhat in building our whiskey export reputation.”

What was once a vacant building in the heart of the city centre will now welcome domestic and international visitors as well as whiskey connoisseurs and those curious to learn more! The hope is to not only educate the public on Irish whiskey’s history, but to promote an understanding and appreciation for something that is, unmistakably, Irish.

www.irishwhiskeymuseum.ie

The 21st Annual Whisky Advocate Awards will be announced on the Whisky Advocate blog beginning this Friday, December 5th. As the awards are announced, they will automatically be published to the Whisky Advocate Facebook page and the Whisky Advocate Twitter feed (@whiskyadvocate).

The Whisky Advocate Awards exist to recognize excellence in the world of whisky. Now in its 21st year, the program is simply about the world’s greatest whiskies and distilleries, and the individuals who make and promote them. As always, these awards are not simply assigned to the whiskies that get the highest ratings in our reviews. The winners might be the highest-rated, or they might instead be the most significant, or the most important, or represent a new direction for a category or niche. The awards process is not, in short, a mere numbers-based formula. It is recognition of a combination of excellence, innovation, tradition, and…simply great-tasting whisky. Our Buying Guide reviewers reach a consensus on the awards.

These awards are the oldest and longest-running annual whisky awards program. We taste and sample over the course of the year, at year’s end we consider and confer, and then we make our decisions based solely on the merits of the whiskies…as we have done for over twenty years. We give you our word: that’s how it will continue to be.

Stop by each day to get the winner and read our commentary on the whisky and why it was chosen. Here’s how they’ll roll out, starting with the American whiskeys and progressing around the world to wind up in Scotland, followed by our Lifetime Achievement Awards and the big one: Distiller of the Year!

December 5
Craft Whiskey of the Year

December 6
American Whiskey of the Year

December 7
Canadian Whisky of the Year

December 8
Irish Whiskey of the Year

December 9
Japanese Whisky of the Year

December 10
World Whisky of the Year

December 11
Blended/Blended Malt Whisky of the Year

December 12
Speyside Single Malt of the Year

December 13
Islay Single Malt of the Year

December 14
Highland Single Malt of the Year

December 15
Lowlands/Campbeltown Single Malt of the Year

December 16
Lifetime Achievement Awards

December 17
Distiller of the Year

Be sure to check in every day, and join the lively conversation that these announcements always set off!

Speyburn Celebrates Successful Scheme to Conserve Local Wildlife

Speyburn Single Malt Scotch Whisky is celebrating the completion of a sustainable environmental project to increase fish populations in the Mackalea Burn, close to its distillery in Speyside.  The installation of a new fish pass, sponsored by the award-winning whisky, will overcome in-river obstacles that prevent salmon and sea trout from spawning, helping to improve the biodiversity of the area.

The scheme was led by Scottish charity the Spey Foundation, in collaboration with Moray Council and Speyburn, as part of the whisky’s two year partnership with the Spey Foundation to support ongoing conservation work along the River Spey. It forms part of the Foundation’s wider initiative to ‘open up Spey burns to wildlife’ and protect and restore the catchment’s natural features.

The Mackalea Burn is a tributary of the River Fiddich, one of the most productive spawning and nursery streams in the Spey catchment. A man-made obstacle, in this case road culverts and steps, had rendered the burn impassable to salmon and sea trout, preventing them from reaching their breeding ground.

The pass, which was created by removing a notch from the step and installing a sustainable timber chute, has allowed fish to journey to and from their breeding grounds more freely. Its design will also improve their habitat by creating depth and slower river flow, opening up an additional 1.5km of high quality breeding grounds to encourage spawning under all flow conditions.

Brian Shaw, a Spey Foundation Biologist commented: ‘The Mackalea Burn project was a great team effort between the Spey Foundation, Speyburn and Moray Council. These sustainable modifications have already allowed sea trout and salmon to swim up the Mackalea Burn, a nice spawning burn, and will continue to do so for years to come.’

The Spey Foundation plays a vital role in conserving the Spey burns and surrounding wildlife and it is this commitment that makes them the perfect partner for Speyburn, which is proud to be the only distillery to use water from the Granty Burn, a tributary of the River Spey, famed for its purity and world class salmon fishing.

Speyburn Single Malt donates £1 to the charity for each new person signing up to Clan Speyburn – the brand’s free online community – with further support provided through an international on-pack promotion.

Mark Steven, Speyburn’s Brand Manager added: ‘The River Spey is at the heart of our whisky, the local community and its wildlife, so it has been wonderful to partner with a charity which shares our commitment to its conservation. The Mackalea Burn project will make a really positive and long term impact on the river’s ecological status and we are very proud to have been involved in the collaboration. To further our commitment to the River Spey’s  enhancement, we are now working with the Spey Foundation to develop another fish pass on the Granty Burn at our distillery, due for completion in 2015.’

Nestled in a valley in the northern edge of Rothes, Speyburn Distillery perfectly balances modern progress with time-honoured distillation and production techniques. In addition to using the most up-to-date and energy efficient equipment, the distillery has retained many of its original features to maintain its unique character, such as its pagoda ventilator roof, wooden wash backs, unique stills, worm tubs and traditional dunnage warehouses.

Notes 

Speyburn Single Malt Scotch Whisky was first distilled on December 15, 1897, the diamond jubilee year of Queen Victoria. Today, Speyburn continues to use the time-honoured traditional distillation methods that created the single barrel of the 1897 vintage. Speyburn is matured in American and Spanish oak casks in traditional stone-built warehouses. The result is a classic Speyside single malt; golden amber in colour with a sweet and citrus nose. It is medium-bodied and easy to drink, with a soft, fruity character and a dry, complex finish. The portfolio includes Speyburn Bradan Orach, Speyburn 10 year old and Speyburn 25 year old expressions. 

The Spey Foundation is a charitable Company Limited by Guarantee and is a transition of the Spey Research Trust, which was formed in the mid-1970s and since 1981 operated as a Registered Charity, administered by a Research Committee. The aim of the Spey Foundation is to advance the study of and research into salmon and all other aquatic species within the Spey Fishery. The Foundation’s work, like the Trust’s before it, plays a vital part in informing and advising the Spey Fishery Board of developments within the river and helps to determine the Board’s approach to fishery management.

The ‘Opening Up Spey Burns to Wildlife’ project will focus on overcoming in-river obstacles and improvements to the habitat within the Spey catchment, by protecting and restoring the natural features. Damage to these natural features is often caused by diffuse pollution and sediment deposition through bank erosion.  The restoration may involve fencing off areas which have been damaged by livestock, planting trees to create pockets of shade, re-instating gravel beds, moving rocks or introducing wood structures to restore the morphology and to re-establish a natural habitat area for fish to spawn and for other wildlife.  The overall effect of these works will help to improve the biodiversity of the area and the river bank.

International Beverage Holdings is one of the industry’s most dynamic global drinks businesses. Established in 2006 as the international arm of ThaiBev, the company specialises in developing distinctive, premium local brands for global growth, with a portfolio that is led by a range of high quality Scotch whiskies and includes some of the fastest growing and most prestigious beers, spirits and whiskies on the market today. These high quality brands are enjoyed by consumers in over 85 global markets and include:

• Chang, Thailand’s iconic global beer brand
• Single Malt Scotch Whiskies: Speyburn, Old Pulteney, Balblair, anCnoc
• Blended Scotch Whiskies: Hankey Bannister, Catto’s, MacArthur’s
• Caorunn, a super premium small batch distilled Scottish Gin infused with 5 Celtic botanicals
• Thai spirits: Phraya, Mekhong

International Beverage’s international operation is headquartered in Hong Kong, with two major bases in China and Scotland and a growing number of regional hubs around the world, such as the USA. The business is focused on the delivery of winning investment, sales and marketing strategies. International Beverage is committed to producing brands of character, representing the care and craftsmanship of the people that make them – from the brewers of Chang Beer in Thailand, to the distillers of the fine single malt Scotch whiskies Old Pulteney and Speyburn in Scotland. Crucially, the global development of every brand continues to be rooted in its home territory, supporting the company’s mission to build authentic brands of outstanding character.

International Beverage is investing in ambitious growth across its global operation, employing over 850 highly skilled people across production, sales, marketing and finance, together forming an effective and expert international team. In 2011 the International Beverage portfolio outperformed the market with outstanding sales across all categories.

BALLANTINE’S LAUNCHES
INNOVATIVE NEW DIGITAL CAMPAIGN
FOR WHISKY DRINKERS
See how the world is drinking whisky at Ballantineslive.com

Ballantine’s, the No.1 whisky in Europe, has launched ‘Ballantine’s Live’: a unique social experiment that explores how the world is drinking whisky through the data generated on social media platforms. The campaign seeks to engage with fans of Ballantine’s Finest, driving awareness and education of Ballantine’s 12 Year Old, and encouraging trial of the super-premium spirit.

Using the data generated by hashtags, images, filters, time of day and locations used by fans to share their whisky occasions online, Ballantine’s will be able to then define whether the posts are typical of either a Ballantine’s Finest or 12 Year Old occasion. This information will then be published on Ballantineslive.com, which will feature the most talked about Finest and 12 Year Old occasions on Twitter, the most ‘checked-in’ bars where people are enjoying their Ballantine’s via Foursquare, and the most popular filters used on Instagram for people sharing their Ballantine’s consumption moment.

Peter Moore, Ballantine’s Global Brand Director, comments: “We are excited to launch a new and innovative campaign that will educate Ballantine’s Finest drinkers about the qualities of our 12 Year Old expression in a way that is both interesting and engaging. Ballantineslive.com will explore how internet users are drinking whisky in real time, while inspiring young adults to embark on an explorative journey of our award-winning Ballantine’s range.”
2014 has marked a strong period of successful and innovative initiatives for Ballantine’s, which has seen the brand launch its ground-breaking online Ballantine’s Golf Club, partner with popular music channel Boiler Room, challenge entrepreneurial bartenders to present their own vision for a dream bar and generate global support for the creation of the world’s first whisky emoji.

Visit Ballantineslive.com to be part of Ballantine’s social experiment.

About Ballantine’s

Ballantine’s is the No.1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the No. 2 Scotch whisky in the world with the range selling over 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 130 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for its outstanding quality, as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the exclusive 40 Year Old, is the most extensive in the world of Scotch and is maintained by Master Blender Sandy Hyslop, continuing the brand’s tradition of Master Blenders that dates back to 1827. In 2013, Ballantine’s continued its innovative approach by launching Ballantine’s Brasil, a spirit drink made from selectively cask steeping Scotch whisky with Brazilian lime peel. www.ballantines.com

@Ballantines

About Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport. www.chivasbrothers.com

History in the Making at Annandale Distillery
Annandale’s Sleeping Beauty Awakens

There was a milestone moment at Annandale Distillery as the first cask was filled at the re-awakened distillery on the outskirts of Annan. This was the first cask to be filled at the old Johnnie Walker distillery in nearly 100 years.

Annandale Distillery opened in 1836 by George Donald, a former excise officer based in Annan. The distillery lease was then taken over by John Sykes Gardner, the son of a formed major of Liverpool in 1883 and then by John Walker and Sons in 1893. John Walker & Sons closed the distillery in 1921 when it was sold to a local farmer. Prof David Thomson and Teresa Church bought the old distillery building in 2007 and started a 7 years project to bring distillation back to this part in Scotland.

On Saturday 15th on November as well as filling the first cask, they opened the doors to visitors from the local area. “We think we got around 750 to 800 people through on Saturday, which is a lot more than we expected. It was a great opportunity for us to meet people from the local area which have supported the restoration of this wonderful distillery.”

Annandale Distillery also has a fully functioning coffee shop and retail outlet, and with the natural beauty of its surroundings makes it a must visit for all whisky fans and visitors alike.
You can now follow Annandale Distillery on Facebook.

We look forward to welcoming you to the distillery.

Annandale Distillery
Northfield
Annan
Dumfriesshire
DG12 5LL
Tel: +44 (0)1461 207817
www.annandaledistillery.com
info@annandaledistillery.com

OPEN ALL YEAR
Join a tour
Coaches by appointment
Hourly
10:00-16:00
Mon-Sat: 09:00-17:00
Sun: 10:00-17:00
Established 1836 | Reborn 2014